Thursday, August 20, 2009

To the lush green plants, to the mountain ranges, to the lakes, to the rain – the terrain seen from the flight resembled the 3-D geography models we built in school

To the huts and slums surrounding the airport, the cluster of concrete in pockets and some lush green land around

To the revamped new airport which brought a smile to my face

To the rude officers at the airport who refuse to greet anyone with a smile

To the surprise that the immigration officer picked up a polite conversation with me and smiled widely wishing me a safe and lovely visit, he made me feel at home:-)

To the warm people this city has (I dropped my customs chit - the small piece they tear from the immigration form and to be submitted before exiting the airport. It was picked up by an aunty who shouted my name aloud and came running to me to return it; worried that I would have been in trouble if I had lost it)

To the constant pestering of baggage helpers who think that a lady traveling alone cannot manage to offload & reload the luggage on her own

To the filth, dirt, messes that I always see as I move out of the airport

To the honking, lane indiscipline, wrong overtaking, screeching, braking, signal disobedience, mouthing foul words as I travel down town from the airport

To the complete change in environment once the cab hits the town side of the city

To one of my favorite spots in the city, the lush green park, the multiple budding cricketers practicing in the nets, the 2-storeyed old buildings – flats with common verandahs, the smell of TIBBS Frankie and Vada Paav,

To the place which is the couple’s hot-spot, the sea-face, the posh buildings, followed by the messy dairy quarters, and my favorite colony

To the scare that bus drivers love giving the smaller vehicles by the side

To the traffic hawaldars busy chatting and collecting Rs50 bribes

To my favorite person in this world, I saw her waiting at the colony gate anxiously scanning all cabs to look for her grown-up child

To the people who’ve loved me like no one else can, whose faces lit up just at the mere sight of me

To the person I’ve loved troubling all my life, and whom I’ve admired as well

To the sweet little home that has not changed since I left it last

To my secret den my room which has been missing me for longYes, I’m back to Maddening Mayhem that this Messy Mumbai offers!From CST International airport along the western express highway passing my favorite Cadel Road & Shivaji Park, listening to the sounds that will bring this city alive for the next ten days of the Ganapati Festival!

Reaching my Worli Colony where Mumma and Mami were waiting impatiently. Mama-Aaji standing in the balcony above waiting to catch a glimpse of me & Didu who postponed her trip to meet me after 2 years!

To my sweet little home in Worli, to the place my parents built with their love and careYeah, Mumbai is not the best in the world but it is the place which gives me warmth, makes me feel welcome, which is responsible for all the love in my life, which is and always will be MY HOME!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Vishal Bharadwaj has his own fan following. I’m one of them. I don’t want him to execute a romantic comedy – we have Karan Johar and Yash Raj for that. I don’t want his films to have the conventional heroes – we have SRK for that & the super glam dolls – we have enough of that don’t we?

He is one of the few intelligent movie makers in this industry who refuses to follow the norm. Take Makdee, Maqbool and Omkara. (I’ve not yet seen Blue Umbrella – but I did read that it is a lovely film) These films had nothing in common with the usual fanfare that Bollywood films are known for. His latest offering Kaminey is no different! The film has Vishal’s signature written all over it. If he is going to make such films after a 3 year break- I’m ready to wait, it’s completely worth it!

Kaminey rocks period. Maybe it is not “THE FILM” but it will go down as a classic, as a cult film and very difficult to emulate.

It’s fast paced , it’s slick, it requires you use your brains to follow the film(unlike many bollywood flicks which require no brains to understand what’s happening!) and it keeps you hooked from the moment the first reel opens.

I’m not going to review it in detail or list the storyline – suggest you catch it at a theatre near you at the earliest.

It might not set the box office ringing but it is the best so far this year in terms of content. The movie is dark just like his previous films. It focuses on reality and on real people. Not one scene in the movie has huge mansions, lavish sets or designer costumes. Heck Sweety wears a Westside Kurta (Damn it, I’ve a similar one and recognized it immediately). That’s how real he keeps it.

Shahid as Guddu and Charlie is outstanding – acting and the little dancing he gets to do. Priyanka surprised me with her simple Sweety and she steals the show in 3 scenes – at her marriage, at the police station and then in the climax – she is so suited to be a Bhai’s sister!

But it’s the unknown characters that rock this film, Amole Gupte as Sunil Chopper’ Bhope, Mikail and Inspector Lele (He has refined the famous ‘C’ word – catch that scene in the police station) set the screen on fire!

I’m not so sure the Indian audience will hail this film cause we are yet to mature – we still need the mushy romantic ones where everyone lives happily ever after! Sigh, but I enjoyed it immensely as it is different – different from the norm!

The music is outstanding – Fatak, Kaminey, Pehli Baar Mohabbat and Raat Ke dhai Bhaje keep you entertained, but the winner is no doubt Dhan Tana Tana. It has to be the song of the year. I’ve not heard any whistles as appreciation in Dubai Theatres (as we are used to in Mumbai) and I heard them as soon as this song hit the screen and they continued till it ended. Proof enough for its popularity. Sukhwinder and Vishal Dadlani have hit the highest notes and have recorded a mind blowing number – probably their best till date. Mind you, this one will be doing the rounds of all discs for a long time. Vishal first gives us a ‘Beedi’ and now Dhan Tana Tana – Sir, we take a bow!

Go watch Kaminey and rock to the tunes of Dhan Tana Tana.We need movies like this once in a while just to separate the intellectuals from the commoners!

GO HAVE FOME FUN….

P.F: Thought of writing the review in Charlie’f language but then held back, finfe thofe who have not feen it yet might not figure out what I’m writing. Fay what??

Thursday, August 13, 2009

I get back to my school days when we would eagerly await these 2 days so that we could go all out to sing these beautiful songs. Anytime, any day these songs are top on my favourite lists. Here is getting nostalgic again. If I’ve missed out- please add in yours!

A very Happy Independence Day in advance to all of you!

P.S: The most searched song is “Hum Sab Bhartiya Hain”which remains my favourite till date, of all the songs we learnt at school!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

I can be really forgetful about the important items like mobile, wallet, car park access card , car keys, my office i-card and even my office laptop. Add to it I've butter fingers so clumsy is my middle name.

MDH is constantly on the lookout if I'll topple something or break something or forget something. I dread to look at him if I commit any of the above crimes.

My closest friend in office N says she can't believe her luck that she had to meet me who is an exact replica of her husband in terms of nature & habits.

I press the panic button the moment I can't see my important items in their regular places. I have not lost them cause the mobile has slipped under the keyboard, the card is in some other pocket in the purse, the wallet is probably in my office drawer and the keys are buried under the pile of papers on my table. But since I cannot see them when I need them, I get extremely hyper. Earlier MDH and N would get worried but now they do not even react, cause they know I'll find it later.

Well, last week the entire team decided to go out for a quick lunch. I did not want to take my handbag hence dumped my mobile, wallet and i-card with N. I must've confirmed and re-confirmed with her thrice till we reached the place. While we were getting out of the car I realised one of my footwear had gone missing in the car and started looking for it frantically. I asked N if she had seen it and she promptly replied,

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Sands sent me this one and I’m flattered! Absolutely flattered. I’ve known her for a month now only through her blog. I like her blog simply cause she writes straight from the heart, a quality I immensely admire! Also she has opinions surprisingly very similar to mine.

Keep the great work Sands and I do not have words to thank you for this one!

This is my first one in the blogging world. It’s a great boost after coming back to this space after a hiatus of 3 years from the blogging world!

So now I must complete what is expected as a recipient of this award.

And here is the tag that goes with the award…

1. What is your current obsession?Cooking (Especially making breakfast), Reading interesting blogs and blogging, Writing Tags on Blogs and FB, Bejeweled Blitz and Zuma (The games are stupid but addictive) and My Papa’s Princess’s Wedding in August.

2. What are you wearing today?My office formals

3. What’s for dinner? Aloo Palak & Roti

4. What’s the last thing you bought?Fuel for my car yesterday evening!

5. What are you listening to right now?Arziyaan from Delhi-6. The song is soothing

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?She is super awesome( The phrase is borrowed from another friend I made last week – She too is Super Awesome). I get to know bits and pieces of her every day from her blog. I hope I get to meet her someday and btw she has lovely eyes – See the bride tag on her blog!

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?London, UK. I am absolutely in love with that place.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?To Mumbai, our princess is getting married, her wedding preps on in full swing and I so want to be there soon!

10. Which language do you want to learn?German – Completed Level 1 at Max Mueller and never continued it:-(

Tamil – I have a decent collection of A R Rahman original Tamil songs. I’ve seen Kandukondain Kandukondain, Thevar Magan and Anjali in Tamil with English Sub-titles and loved them in their original form.

11. What’s your favourite quote?Win as if you were used to it. Lose as if you enjoyed it for a change - Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. Who do you want to meet right now?If God would permit – My Papa

13. What is your favourite colour?Two – Blue and White (Most of my wardrobe comes in these 2 colours)

A Few Good Men, Ocean’s Eleven, Transformers, The Incredibles, Catch Me If you Can, The Hangover, Speed, A walk in the clouds, All HP Films, Lord of the Rings, All Superhero films, Little Miss Sunshine

Tamil:

Anjali, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Thevar Magan,

24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can’t live without?Olay Day and Night Cream, Revlon Lipstick, & Dior Perfume

23. What inspires you?Super –achievers, out of the box thinkers, exceptions to the norm! People who dare to question and stand firm when they are right no matter what!

24. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?If I have the time I go shop, else I mix ‘n match and produce something not tried before!

25. Coffee or tea?Both. Coffee in morning and tea in evening

26. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?MDH and S (My Rock of Gibraltar) are at the receiving end. Talking to them helps me get back to normal

27. What is the meaning of your name?I’m not so sure. Some books say it means small fish while a Sanskrit dictionary I have says it’s a precious gem.

It was given to me so that it rhymed with my cousin sister’s name( She too was an only child like me!). I don’t think her or my parents gave it too much of thought in terms of the meaning!

31. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?Sad that it is Shravan and I cannot make my famous cheese omlette or egg bhurji if you decide to drop in suddenly, if you give me time I would’ve cooked my famous Prawns Green Masala & Chicken Curry with Roti and Fried Rice

34) If you get to be one person(alive) for a day whom would you choose

Indra Nooyi. I would love to know what it is like to be a CEO of such a huge MNC!

35) If you could travel back in time where would you like to go?

To the time of Shivaji Maharaj and follow his and his mavlas achievements– Maratha history always always fascinated me!

The rules are:Respond and rework – Answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own.Then tag eight or ten other set of people.I would like to share these awards and tag these wonderful bloggers:

Friday, August 07, 2009

I haven’t blogged much about my expat life in Dubai. I never wanted to live abroad; I still don’t, but here I’m spending my 4th year in Dubai. I don’t know how long MDH and I plan to be here. I don’t want to decide, things never work out when I decide, so I’ve learnt my lesson and now I take everything in my stride.

This place has slowly and steadily grown on me. I still have my cribs and complaints, but it’s a nice place to live in. Here are some of the ways in which this place ensures I don’t miss my Mumbai as much. (I cannot stop missing Mumbai. How can you? When you have spent a quarter of your life in Mumbai!)

Family and Friends

This place has helped me meet a vast array of people with completely different personalities but who gel with each other exceptionally well. MDH and I have been fortunate to have had such lovely people around us right from the time we stepped in. They say it’s tough to make friends at work, but my best friends in Dubai come from my workplace and so do MDH’s. I’ve known them for only 3 years but it feels like they’ve known me for a lifetime.

MDH’s cousin lives a building away from our old place and has been with us since my first day in Dubai. Her two little adorable brats (About the elder one read here) ensure that we have our hands full. Add to this extended family, are my bhauji’s (brother-in-laws) close friends who are now our own family.

And the best of all are my neighbours P & A from my old place. In Dubai people rarely get to know who lives on their floor, I was fortunate to have met them on the second day I moved in and we hit it off. Their little angel has kept MDH and me busy in the evenings for the last 3 years!

On all occasions to be spent with my family I always have these wonderful set of people to turn to. I do miss my family back home but they all help me miss them less.

Food

MDH is from Goa and therefore is an absolute seafood freak, loves non-veg and in general food. I’ve developed my food fetish from him! His profession has helped us experiment at the best places that Dubai has to offer. I’ve been to most 5 star restaurants and tasted out all cuisines – Arabian, Iranian, Lebanese, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese. From a meal costing AED 30 for 2 to a meal costing AED 300 for 2, we have tried out all! Each one with its own speciality, own taste and wanting us to go back again and again. I will put up a food post on this blog – our friends and colleagues always consult us if they need to try out a new place. I’m often called “Time-Out Dubai” at my workplace cause I keep introducing new restaurants to them. They tell me, when it comes to food MDH and you know the best! Yeah we do;-)

The Roads

Dubai has excellent roads. The internal city roads are wide and well divided with atleast 3 lanes on either side. The highways have atleast 5 lanes on either side. The directions are excellent. You will rarely get lost. I’ve driven alone, got lost and found my way back by just following the direction boards on the road. In parts of the city there is chaotic traffic , but that is minimal if I compare it to the entire structure. In short I absolutely love driving around this place

Our Car

In Dubai, cars are a must if you need to get yourself around .It does not have a robust public transport system. They are also the most affordable and hence the spate of luxury cars in this part of the world. I’ve seen every damn luxury car on the streets here. I drive a SUV – A Nissan Murano. It is not a car I would’ve driven in Mumbai even if I could afford it sometime in life. It’s a fuel guzzler and one cannot enjoy a ride in SUV on Mumbai’s teeny weeny roads! Fuel comes cheap, really cheap at AED 6.25 per gallon; so one more reason to own a car here.

Grocery Shops & Supermarkets

Grocery shops function here from morning 6.00 a.m to 12.00 in the night. Some are even open till 2.00 a.m. in the morning and some supermarkets are open 24X7. I know the perils but from a pure consumer perspective it is a bliss. I’m never worried if I run out of the bare necessities at home at odd hours.

The Distance to Mumbai

Total travel time 2hrs 45 mins, including the time difference around 4 hrs. If I want, I can visit Mumbai on a weekend.

Household Help

I’ve a cleaner and a cook who come in daily to do the chores. Not many of my friends boast of that luxury once they leave India. I don’t pay a heavy price for these services unlike other places outside India.

Cleanliness & Greenery

Most of this city is cleaned daily – the roads, the buildings, the parks. The plants are watered daily, and the gardens maintained beautifully.

There not many parks but the few they have, are huge and well maintained. This place is a desert but the city officials have managed to maintain green pockets as much as they can. We even have our own ‘Haridwar’ here! It’s not London or Europe but I admire the fact that such greenery is maintained in this barren desert land

Services

Any service related to the government here, be it getting your visa done, id card done, e-gate card, telephone, electricity, internet, television is relatively easy. If they tell you it will take 2 hrs, it more often than not takes exactly 2 hrs, if they tell you they will do it in 3 days, they will definitely do it in 3 days and if they tell you they do not know how long, well they really do not know how long! They are honest about it.

Dubai RTA

They manage the roads and transport of this place and they do a swell job. The systems are in place and you cannot evade the law. If your car registration has expired you will not get a parking card, if you have not paid your fines, you cannot have your car registered. In short, Dubai does not believe in the law chasing individuals but the individuals having to chase the law. If there is an accident, the process is simple, both cars come to a side, wait for the police to arrive. The police a.k.a the ‘Shorta’ here will inspect. The one who is at fault will get a pink slip, the other a green. The one with the green slip submits it to his insurance company who recover the money from the insurance company of the one with pink slip. No fights, no abuses, no traffic halts – all the chaos that we see in Mumbai if there is an accident. The fines are clearly defined and there is no escape without paying if you get one.

If major constructions are happening around, the diversions and the direction boards are up the very moment so that no inconvenience is caused.

We as humans will still complain but if I look at the bigger picture, the RTA does a super job. They are constantly striving to upgrade the place

Shopping

Dubai has always been known for its shopping and it is indeed a bliss to shop here! Things are affordable and not that expensive. The Sales in summer and during the shopping festival are a huge hit and you get some awesome bargains. Apart from my traditional wear (clothes and footwear both) I’ve stopped shopping back home cause you get better stuff at the same price here

Finally the one reason that will bring this place more closer to my hometown Mumbai . The one thing this place was missing which I so dearly love about Mumbai and my next favourite London city. Yes the trains.

Dubai is getting its own Metro service which will commence this 9Sep. On 09/09/09 at 9 a.m. the Metro will have a grand opening. I saw a test run bang in front of my house and was dead excited. I’ll finally get to travel by train to work and back. I only live 2 stations away and both stations are bang in front of my home and office! It will be a fully automated driverless service and hopefully people here in Dubai will appreciate the importance of public transport.

The Brat Pack

2 Adorable nephews, 2 lovable dolls and 1 little angel. These 5 have ensured that I’m fully trained and equipped to handle one of my own! I was never a children’s person, that is MDH, he is fantastic with the kids and these 5 dote on him and so does he on them. They have helped me to handle kids and have fun with them by being like them.

I was always the youngest in my family and hence my nieces/nephews are not that younger to me – so I’ve been more of a sis than aunt. These 5 have taught me what being an aunt is all about! What it is to be a grown-up but yet be a kid when you are with the kids!

God bless them!

I’m not comparing Mumbai and Dubai; where ever I live, Mumbai will always be home, the place where my heart belongs to. I’m slowly beginning to accept Dubai as my second home. It has given me pain but it has also brought me much joy.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

I’m a complete TV buff. I know loads of people who consider watching TV as a complete waste of time. They raise their eyebrows when I tell them that I can spend an entire day in front of the idiot box , surfing channels and not doing anything else!

I don’t mind a day like that once in a while. To me it is not a waste of my time. Why am I always expected to be reading intellectual stuff, discussing the burning issues, going to art workshops, honing my creative skills (if I have any that is), catching up on the world news, getting the house in order or just winding up chores on a weekend so that the week stays in order! After the grueling work and home schedules, I’m allowed a little bit of nonsense, brainless, mindless viewing once in a while and I enjoy that!

Hence, of all the crap that the idiot box offers us mortals, the reality shows are the last on my viewing list. There are enough interesting serials ( mind you only English), movies and documentaries (Animal Planet and Discovery – once in a while, honestly speaking, but it makes for excellent viewing)to keep me glued in and not opt for reality show viewing be it the American/UK versions or our copied national versions.

However, sometimes the curiosity does get the better of me and I had to see what the big (-ve) hype was all about around the 3 Indianised versions of the western reality shows. The blog post is where I can vent my frustration, so apologies in advance if you are at the receiving end when you are reading this piece!

Rakhi ka Swayamwar a.k.a RKSThis is a first of its kind on Indian television. Although The Bachelor and the Bachelorette have been running in America for long; India picked up this idea pretty late and only Rakhi Sawant could have made this show a success. The Drama Queen of India ensured that this drama fell in place. I’ve watched episodes of this show and I was in fits of laughter. Seriously, if you missed it, you must watch a few episodes for pure comic relief.

MDH has thrown enough fits at home and on FB (His status messages on RKS have been out of this world. Even more interesting are the comments that followed up) He, despite his frustration, helped the show gain popularity as most hooked on to see what his frustration was all about! I think he was more frustrated with me for watching this mindless crap of a TV show.

Either ways, the show ended as expected, Rakhi selecting the best bet of all – the Canada based businessman but not marrying on prime time national television citing that this was only an engagement and they needed time before they settled down into the holy matrimony. I have not seen a bigger mockery of the institution of marriage and the events preceding in it as portrayed on NDTV Imagine. It’s quite a shame that NDTV of all channels had to resort to such a show to boost its TRPs.

Sach Ka Saamna

I chanced on it a week back & spent the next half hour chewing MDH’s brains as to how can people be so money-thirsty to put their private life on public display!But then I thought, if the people on the show think it is completely worth it to put their private life on display in full public view, why are we fretting about it ? Here’s what a blogger friend of mine had put up and my answers to her questions below. My thoughts in the same order as the questions she has raised1) NO but the partcipants on the show think otherwise2) NO – the show says its courageous to do it – I think its pretty stupid almost hitting the axe on your own feet3) I think they are, but as with all things this could have flaws.4) That’s what I meant that the tests can be flawed5) NOT AT ALL but apparently those who are on the show think it is worth it!6) BIG YES! See the last episodes and see what made people lose their money!

In India this show will work, it tickles the curiosity bone of the public, it speaks opendly of 'taboo' topics like sex, extra-marital affairs, and most of all it provides good fodder for gossip; as people love to know what is happening in others' lives and not mind their own business.

Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachaoo

Finally, the crappiest of them all. Some little known celebrities trapped in a jungle struggling for basic necessities. I’ve no interest in seeing people eat cockroaches or take on spiders/crocodiles to earn a basket of food, to drown themselves among reptiles and do the creepiest of things! Sorry save me this nonsense, and since this might not work; the producers of the show got the Indian Bahu Sweta Tiwari and the item girl Nigar khan show off their bathing bodies! Is this what national television has come to? And these small –time starlets will do absolutely anything just for publicity.

The 3 shows prove that Indian telly channels will stoop to any levels to gain TRPs, and so will all the so-called celebrities. Earlier it was the crappy Saas-Bahu saga started by Ekta Kapoor now it is the mindless reality show boom.

But why am I surprised? It is after all a sickening rat race and money game ; for the money & TRPs, the channels and the people will do just about anything! It’s not about good clean entertainment anymore. It’s all about the moolah!

If I need some mindless entertainment, I’ll stick to the old formula of a Govinda movie, reality shows are no where close!

Wish the TRP rat race will end someday! Think about the good old DD days when the TRP concept did not exist! Don't you miss the Fauji, Circus, Yeh Jo Hain Zindagi, Humlog, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Meri Aawaz Suno, Ramayana, Mahabhartha, Chitrahaar days?I do and the song 'Koi Lauta De Mere Bite Hue Din' is playing in my mind!

Life...

For someone who loves being organized and planned in advance, life has taught that one can have none of that how much ever one wants to:-)

I never wanted to live abroad, I tried every possible way to avoid it but now I've completed 3 years of expat life in Dubai.Mumbai, India- My city, my home, my heaven, my love, my lovely country, I don't know how I've survived these years away from you!

I'm trying to get back to my blog to write back about my life and my experiences and yes my thoughts!